Lok Sabha elections 2024: BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil seeks Ramdas Athawale support in Shirdi, Ahmednagar South LS seats

Ramdas Athawale. File Pic

Senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Thursday night called on Union minister Ramdas Athawale here and sought his support for securing victory in Shirdi and Ahmednagar South Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, sources told news agency PTI.

Sadashiv Lokhande of the ruling Shiv Sena is pitted against Bhausaheb Wakhchaure of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Shirdi, while in Ahmednagar South, Sujay Vikhe Patil is the BJP nominee against Nilesh Lanke of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

District and taluka office-bearers of the Athawale-led RPI (A) from the two constituencies were present at the closed-door meeting held at the Union minister's Mumbai residence, reported PTI.

The sources told PTI that Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is the Mahayuti in-charge of Shirdi and Ahmednagar South and is entrusted with the task of getting both seats in the BJP-led alliance's kitty.

Sujay Vikhe Patil, the son of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, is the sitting MP from Ahmednagar South.

Athawale, a BJP ally, had sought the Shirdi seat for himself and was unhappy that he wasn't consulted on naming the candidate.

The sources said Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil sought cooperation of Athawale's supporters in the two constituencies to ensure victory of the Mayayuti nominees.

The RPI (A) has pockets of influence in the two seats.

The Mahayuti alliance consists of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve on Thursday said that the undivided Shiv Sena did a lot for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, including getting Rs 200 crore sanctioned for Nandur Madhameshwar canal when former MP Chandrakant Khaire was district guardian minister in 1995-99.

Khaire was defeated by AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference, Danve said the Nandur Madhameshwar canal significantly increased irrigation in Vaijapur taluka, adding that Khaire also got permission for widening of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Waluj road.

"He also did rigorous follow-up for the making of Dhule-Solapur (NH52) highway that passes through district. The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor was also sanctioned in his term. Funds for the water grid project in Paithan was sanctioned by the Uddhav Thackeray led MVA government," Danve added, reported PTI.

Danve said the city used to get water once in three days earlier when MVA was in power, while now (under Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP dispensation) it was once every nine days.

(With inputs from PTI)